Chicago, 2003. Kai and Mark, age 5.
The years passed with an almost artificial calm.
There was a stillness… as if the world were holding its breath before something changed forever.
Kai kept his pace: discreet, observant, as if playing a survival game in stealth mode. Despite his training, he no longer activated his void powers as often — the side effects of the last times had left his hair partially white for weeks. Debbie even commented on it, thinking it was just a rare reaction to the changing weather.
— "Maybe he inherited the weather sensitivity from my side of the family," — she'd say with a laugh, stroking Kai's head lovingly.
Nolan, on the other hand, just observed… in silence.
Kai noticed those attentive stares, that kind of cold analysis he only saw when his father thought no one was looking.
"Could it be some incompatibility between humans and Viltrumite blood?"
But the energy still pulsed within him, like a hidden engine beneath his skin. And now, something new was emerging.
Kai noticed that his senses were becoming sharper, his reflexes faster. One time, he and Mark were climbing the backyard tree, like they always did after their afternoon snack. A branch suddenly gave way, and they both fell.
Mark shouted, surprised by the sudden drop.
Kai, however, instinctively twisted his body in the air and landed on his feet like a cat. Mark fell sideways, scraping his knee. He whimpered quietly, but didn't make a fuss.
— "Dude, you're so fast! Like one of those cartoon ninjas!"
Kai quickly looked around, making sure no one was watching them.
— "Just got lucky, I guess." — he said, playing it off as casually as possible.
But inside him, a clear and unsettling conclusion formed:
"These aren't void powers. This is something else."
After the fall, Debbie appeared at the door with a little first-aid kit.
— "What happened now, my little monkeys?"
— "Mark fell from the tree again, Mom."
— "I didn't fall! The branch broke!" — Mark retorted, puffing his cheeks.
— "Oh sure, blame the tree…" — she teased, kneeling down to clean the wound with a gentle expression.
Kai took advantage of the distraction to look away, trying to ignore the fact that he was becoming less and less "normal." But it was hard. Some nights, he could feel the energy in his muscles vibrating as if something were on the verge of awakening — a strength that wasn't his… but was growing.
Later that day, after their bath, Debbie made maple syrup waffles. It was a tradition whenever someone got hurt. Nolan sat at the table, flipping through the newspaper. When the boys sat down, he looked over the pages at them — especially Kai.
— "You two need to be more careful."
— "Sorry, Dad…" — Mark replied with his mouth full.
Kai just nodded, eyes quick and neutral.
Nolan said nothing more. But something in his gaze… that clinical focus… as if he were trying to piece together an invisible puzzle. Kai felt the tension but looked away. He knew that drawing attention around him was never a good idea.
After dinner, the two brothers went to their room. Mark turned on the TV and flopped onto the bed with an action figure in hand.
— "Hey, Kai… do you think our dad is like, a superhero?"
Kai took a while to respond. He was looking out the window, where night blanketed the rooftops in shadow. He already knew. He had seen it many times as a baby — Nolan in the Omni-Man uniform.
— "Maybe he's more than that," — he answered vaguely, something hidden behind the words.
— "So you already know too?" — Mark said excitedly.
Kai didn't respond — he looked back, surprised, and stayed silent.
— "It's just… I saw him flying home the other night, when I woke up for a second. Thought I was dreaming, but then yesterday I checked his office and saw the suit... Our dad is Omni-Man!"
— "Mark, maybe we should ask him tomorrow. It could just be a costume."
— "No, I saw it, I know it. One day, I want to be a hero just like him."
Kai glanced at him and whispered to himself:
"You will, Mark… and when that happens, I'll finally get to live in peace."
They went to sleep early that night, but Kai stayed awake a while longer.
Deep down, unease was growing. His senses were becoming too sharp. His body, more resilient. His vision, clearer even in the dark.
The Viltrumite legacy was awakening.
And he knew it would only get harder to hide his powers — at least until Mark awakened his.
The next morning
Over breakfast, Nolan set down his coffee mug and cleared his throat. Debbie was scrambling eggs, and the boys, still in pajamas, were fighting over who got more pieces of pancake.
— "Boys," — Nolan began, his voice calm but firm — "I think it's time you officially knew something."
Mark's eyes widened, and Kai — already expecting this — faked a small gasp, as if caught off guard.
— "I'm Omni-Man."
Mark exploded with excitement.
— "I knew it! I knew it! I saw the suit in the closet! Whoaaa, our dad is the strongest hero in the world!!"
Debbie laughed, relieved, placing the pan back on the stove.
— "Oh thank God! Now we don't have to hide your uniform in the laundry basket or make up crazy excuses when you come home with your clothes torn."
Kai tilted his head with a curious expression, trying to find out more about when Mark might get his powers.
— "Cool. So… is there a chance we'll be strong too?"
Nolan gave a faint smile, but stayed vague.
— "Maybe. You're both still too young to tell… but who knows."
Debbie approached and knelt in front of them.
— "Listen, boys, this is a secret, okay? No one can know. Not teachers, not friends, not neighbors — even if they offer you a peanut butter sandwich. Got it?"
Mark raised his hands like he was making a superhero oath.
— "Promise, Mom. Superhero secret!"
Kai just nodded with a small smile, hiding his deeper thoughts.
The truth had always been there. But now… now it was officially on the table.
A Few Days Later…
The Secret File
It was late at night. Debbie had fallen asleep on the couch, a romance book resting in her lap. Mark was asleep in his room. Nolan, as usual, had gone out "to write."
But Kai knew.
He had been waiting for this — still worried about his awakening powers. He waited for the sound of the office door closing, counted the footsteps, and slipped out silently.
He had memorized his father's routine — and, more importantly, the moments when he forgot to lock the office.
The small bookshelf at the back had a false panel.
And behind it… folders. Dozens of them.
Papers with star charts. Genetic data.
One stood out:
"Observation Report: Earth / Viltrum"
Kai read for hours. Each line was a revelation.
"The Viltrumites are a race of conquerors. They select compatible worlds, infiltrate them, and then dominate when the time is right. Earth is a promising bet. I need to find out if they'll inherit our powers."
Kai stopped there.
His small body trembled. Not from fear. But from the coldness in Nolan's writing…
As if he were talking about chess pieces.
As if Mark and he were just variables in a domination equation.
And then Kai began to think about his past life again.
How everything felt meaningless.
How everyone always had some hidden intention.
He felt that same old exhaustion.
That familiar disinterest in the world.
But at the same time… something different.
Something he didn't understand… anger.
Angry at himself?
No. After all, he didn't care about anything.
Maybe… angry for his brother.
Who idolized their father.
So innocent.
So unaware of the hard prophecy awaiting him.
Father and Son in Silence
In the days following the discovery, Kai began observing Nolan with new eyes.
He started analyzing him… as if every gesture, every silence, every word — or lack of one — was a clue to be deciphered.
He noticed the absences.
How Nolan avoided answering when Debbie asked about the future.
Or how he changed the subject when Mark talked about "growing up to be like Dad."
At breakfast, the four of them would sit together. The news would play in the background, muffling deeper conversations. Mark excitedly talked about a new cartoon, waving a spoonful of cereal.
— "And then the giant robot... BOOM! Everything exploded! And then the other one flew in with a sword!" — Mark laughed with a full mouth.
Debbie smiled, stirring her coffee. Nolan pretended to listen but kept his eyes on the paper.
Kai just watched. Quiet.
He hadn't been eating much — not from lack of hunger, but from the tension in his stomach.
Every time he looked at Nolan, he saw two overlapping versions: the invincible hero… and the alien disguised as a husband and father.
One morning, with Debbie cleaning the kitchen and Mark already playing outside, Kai stayed in the living room, seemingly focused on a puzzle.
Nolan walked by and paused for a moment.
— "Something wrong, Kai?" — he asked with a casual tone, but alert eyes.
Kai looked up slowly.
Didn't smile.
— "Do you love Mom?"
Nolan hesitated. Just for a second. But Kai noticed.
He always noticed.
— "Of course I do," — he replied without emotion.
— "And Mark?" — then quickly corrected himself — "And us?"
The question hung in the air like an off-key note.
Nolan looked at him longer this time. His gaze was firm… but vague.
As if searching for the right answer — or the acceptable one.
— "I love you both. I just… have responsibilities beyond this house."
Kai nodded. That was it.
But inside, something settled like drying concrete in the foundation of an ancient structure.
"Half-truth," he thought. "And half-truths… are dangerous."
Nolan left the room shortly after. He went to the garage, pretending to fix tools — or maybe just creating another excuse to be alone.
Kai stayed there, staring at the puzzle pieces.
A picture of a starry sky was starting to take shape.
Several pieces were still missing in the center. But he already knew what it would become.
— "If you really are who I read about in that report… then I'll be ready." — he whispered.
— "Nah. Ready for what? I'll just stay out of it and let things unfold. When Mark gets his powers, if he needs help, I'll be there. But he's the one destined to save the world."
Later that same day, Mark called him to play superheroes in the backyard.
Kai smiled and went with him.
— "Do you want to be the villain or the hero today?" — Mark asked, excited.
— "I think I'll be the sidekick today," Kai replied. — "The guy who protects the hero from the shadows."
Mark laughed.
— "Alright! But don't let me down!"
— "I never would."
And deep down, he knew it was true.
Echoes of the Everyday
The days stretched out with a false calm. April's sky brought warm wind, enough to make the trees sway gently in the leafy neighborhood streets. Families carried on their routines — and so did the Graysons, or at least pretended to.
The Kitchen Conversation: Debbie and Nolan
In the kitchen, bathed in morning sunlight, Debbie fried eggs while Nolan read the newspaper — a habit he claimed was "part of the cover." She watched him over her coffee mug.
— "The boys are growing up so fast…" — she said, stirring the pan. — "Kai is so… introspective. Sometimes he feels like an 80-year-old man in a kid's body."
Nolan gave a faint smile without lifting his eyes from the paper.
— "And Mark?" — she continued. — "So sensitive… sweet. Earlier today, he said he wants to be a firefighter because 'helping people must be cool.'"
— "He gets that from you," Nolan replied.
Debbie laughed, but there was a shadow in her gaze.
— "And you... do you think it'll be hard, when they start asking serious questions? About you… about us?"
Nolan slowly lowered the newspaper.
— "I don't think so. At least now they know I'm Omni-Man." — he said flatly.
— "Then be honest with them. Tell them everything… or at least, what you can."
Cecil Stedman – The System's Sentinel
Meanwhile, in one of the underground buildings of the Global Defense Agency, Cecil reviewed holographic reports. His face, partially in shadow, was unreadable — but his eyes scanned each line with surgical precision.
— "What do we have on Grayson?" — he asked an agent beside him.
— "Nothing out of the ordinary, sir. Recent hero activity includes the Mississippi bridge disaster and the falling satellite over India. Impeccable… as always."
Cecil lit a cigarette, the orange glow contrasting with the blue of the screen.
— "And that's exactly what worries me."
— "Sir?"
— "No one stays this clean… for this long. I want all records re-evaluated. Every incident with him, every appearance… even old space logs if they can be traced."
— "Do you think he's hiding something?"
Cecil took a long drag, exhaling slowly.
— "I don't know. But I have a feeling he is. The question is: when will he show it?"
Another Night, Another "Hero Act"
That same night, Nolan returned with his uniform torn at the sleeve. His boots left trails of oily slime from an alien creature he'd killed in California.
Kai, still awake, watched from the upstairs stairs.
— "Won again?" — the boy asked with a touch of sarcasm.
Nolan looked up and gave a slight smile.
— "Always do."
— "Hm."
Debbie appeared behind Kai with a hand towel.
— "Nolan, aren't you going to say goodnight to the boys?"
He hesitated. Took off his boots. Climbed the steps.
He stopped next to Kai, ruffled his hair gently.
— "Good night, little strategist."
Kai almost smiled, but remembered what he'd read in the office.
— "Good night…"
Kai returned to his room and saw Mark waking from the noise at the door.
— "Did Dad get back?" — Mark asked, eyes half-closed.
— "Yeah. All dirty and dripping alien goo all over the house," Kai replied with a grin.
— "When we grow up, what do you want to be?" — Mark asked.
— "Anything that stays away from trouble," Kai answered with a calm smile.
Mark laughed. — "Then let's be superheroes! Helping people is cool, right?"
Kai sighed. — "You'll be a great hero, Mark."
— "And you?"
Kai looked up at the ceiling, thoughtful.
— "I'll just be around. In case you need me."
The next day, Saturday morning.
— "Boys, come eat breakfast!" — Debbie shouted from the kitchen, as the smell of pancakes filled the house.
Mark came running, wearing a Science Dog T-shirt.
Kai followed more slowly, his hair still messy. The sun peeked shyly through the window, and the kitchen radio mumbled the morning news.
— "…and flying over areas north of Chicago, the Guardian of the Globe once again stopped an attempted kidnapping involving a limousine of local businessmen. No details yet, but experts suspect the Reanimen gang…"
Debbie turned off the radio.
— "I think that kind of news can wait. Pancakes first, end of the world later," she said with a smile.
— "Did Dad go to that too?" — Mark asked, excited by the idea.
— "He probably did. He left early again," Debbie replied, trying to hide the concern in her voice. — "By the way, you two could tidy up the garage today. It looks like a teenager's messy bedroom."
— "But we're kids!" — Mark protested.
Kai just laughed.
Meanwhile…
In a government underground facility.
Cecil Stedman examined a monitor. The footage showed Nolan surrounded by masked opponents. Beside him, Donald held a clipboard.
— "Three minutes and forty-two seconds to neutralize all targets. No civilian casualties," said Donald.
— "Hm. He's getting more efficient," murmured Cecil, thoughtful. — "But too cold. He didn't hesitate for a second crushing that last one."
Donald hesitated. — "Viltrumites are... different."
— "I know. And that's what worries me," Cecil replied, lighting a cigarette.
He looked at another screen. This one displayed images of the Grayson twins.
— "And the kids?"
— "Normal… for now."
— "Maybe we're worrying over nothing. But let's stay alert."
Back at the Grayson home.
Saturday night came quietly.
After dinner, Debbie was drying the dishes while Nolan put the silverware away, wearing an expression far too thoughtful for such a simple task. The boys were in the living room, lying on the carpet watching a cartoon about robots that turned into trucks.
Debbie glanced sideways at him.
— "Did you think about what I said?"
— "I'm always thinking," he replied, with that half-smile meant to seem relaxed.
— "Nolan… They have a right to know. At least the basics."
— "They're still kids."
— "Exactly. Because they'll grow up. And when they do, they'll remember who was honest with them. And who kept important things hidden."
Nolan took a deep breath. His jaw tensed for a moment, but he nodded. With a motion, he called the boys:
— "Boys… come here for a second."
Mark sat on the couch like he was about to receive a present. Kai, more cautious, sat cross-legged beside him, staring at his father with a serenity far beyond his age.
— "What is it, Dad?" — Mark asked, excited.
— "I just wanted to talk a bit. Tell you something. About me."
Kai raised an eyebrow discreetly. "Let's see what version of the truth we get this time..." he thought.
Nolan sat in the armchair in front of them. For a second, his eyes seemed distant.
— "I wasn't born on Earth."
Mark's eyes went wide, then he burst into laughter. — "Like… an alien?"
— "Technically… yes. I'm from a planet called Viltrum."
Mark looked at Kai with a surprised grin, expecting a reaction.
Kai just kept his gaze firmly on his father.
— "On my world, people are like me: strong, they fly, have enhanced senses…"
— "Wow! And does everyone have mustaches too?" — Mark asked, and Debbie chuckled from the kitchen.
— "Some do," Nolan replied, almost laughing. — "We value strength, discipline, duty."
— "Like a super planet?" — Mark asked, eyes sparkling.
— "Something like that," Nolan answered with a smile. — "There, the greater good always comes first. We protect those who deserve protection… and eliminate threats without hesitation."
Kai narrowed his eyes.
— "And who decides what counts as a threat?" — he asked, almost casually, but with the maturity of someone who knows how the game is played.
Nolan turned, locking eyes with Kai for a few seconds as if searching for the right answer.
— "Logic. Efficiency. The survival of what matters," he answered, like reciting a mantra.
— "Sounds… impersonal," said Kai. — "And dangerous."
Mark looked between them, confused.
— "But you were heroes, right?"
— "We are, Mark. In many worlds. Viltrumites were sent to help planets prosper," Nolan replied, now looking directly at Kai. — "Sometimes, the right path isn't the easiest. Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made."
Kai's eyes narrowed again.
— "But sometimes… there isn't just one right path, is there?"
Nolan fell silent, stunned for a moment by the phrasing.
Kai realized he might have gone too far, so he added quickly:
— "That's what we saw in the last episode of Science Dog."
Disguising it with excitement like a child caught up in a cartoon.
Nolan paused for a second but kept his calm tone, convincing himself he was taking a child too seriously.
Mark looked back and forth, clearly lost, but fascinated.
— "That's so cool… My dad's an alien!"
— "And we have his blood, right?" — said Kai, casually but intentionally.
— "Yes. Part of you is Viltrumite. That means, one day, you might develop special abilities too."
Mark jumped up. — "Just like you?! That's amazing!"
Kai stayed seated.
— "So is that why you're so… absent sometimes? You have responsibilities with that planet?"
Nolan sighed.
— "Partly. But you're my family. I'm here now. For you."
Kai looked down, unsure if he believed every word. But something felt different in that moment. A tension in the air that no one seemed to notice — except him.
— "You'll have choices in the future," Nolan said at last. — "I just want you to be ready."
Mark smiled, thrilled by the idea of flying, of being strong, of living adventures.
Kai just observed.
Deep down, something didn't add up. It was a lot of information for a five-year-old, but he wasn't a normal child. And though he pretended to accept it all, his mind analyzed every pause, every vague phrase.
And finally, Kai just said:
— "Thanks for telling us."
— "Seriously, Dad," Mark added excitedly. — "When I get powers, I want to be like you!"
— "I hope you'll be even better, son," Nolan replied with a faint smile.
— "Good night, boys," said Nolan, smiling.
Kai waited for him to go upstairs, then looked at Mark.
— "What do you think?"
— "I thought… it was kind of confusing. But cool! I mean, our dad is from another planet! That's awesome!"
Kai gave a small smile.
— "Just remember to think for yourself, okay?"
Mark laughed, half-understanding.
Sunday Morning
The sun crept lazily through the window, bathing the table in a golden, soft light. Debbie flipped the pan again, making breakfast. The boys sat down, their hair messy from a restless night.
— "Mom, do you think Dad really likes Earth?" — Mark asked, drizzling chocolate syrup on his pancakes.
Debbie hesitated, looking at her two sons for a moment.
— "He has a strange way of showing affection, but… yes. I think he loves us. And that includes this messy world."
Kai chewed slowly, listening to everything, saying nothing. Inside, Nolan's words from that report still echoed.
He looked at Mark — so cheerful, so innocent.
— "Can we play after breakfast?" — Mark asked.
Kai nodded. — "Sure. But no climbing trees today. Your knee still has a scab."
Debbie laughed.
— "You seriously remember that?" — Mark said.
— "I remember everything."
Far away, atop a skyscraper in New York…
A red blur hovered in the air.
Omni-Man stared at the horizon.
Blood from his last mission still stained part of his suit.
He wiped his glove carefully before activating his communicator.
— "Mission accomplished. No trace left."
— "Great job," Cecil replied from the other end. — "And Nolan... your kids seem promising."
Omni-Man took a second before answering.
— "Too promising."
Later that same Sunday...
The late afternoon stretched lazily, painting the sky in orange tones as pink clouds drifted slowly. The house was calm — Debbie napped on the couch with an open book on her chest, Kai flipped through a comic on the porch, and Mark enjoyed the rare silence to spend time alone with their father in the backyard.
Nolan trimmed a bush with garden shears, still wearing a white shirt with the cuffs unbuttoned. Mark watched him for a few seconds, as if rehearsing a long-held question.
— "Dad..." — he began, a bit shy.
Nolan paused but didn't look right away. He only murmured:
— "Hm?"
— "Do you… like Earth?"
Nolan was quiet for a moment. Not awkward — calculated. He lowered the shears, wiped his hands on a cloth from his pocket, and finally looked at his son.
— "Why that question?"
Mark shrugged.
— "I don't know… It's just... you're from another planet. And you always seem kind of... distant. Sometimes I wonder if you'd rather be there."
Nolan's eyes softened briefly. He knelt to eye level and placed a hand on Mark's shoulder.
— "Mark… this planet gave me things Viltrum never could." — He glanced toward the house. — "It gave me your mom. It gave me you. It gave me Kai."
Mark smiled a little, still unsure.
— "So… you do like it here?"
Nolan thought for a moment, his gaze lost in the sky. As if answering that simple question was harder than any battle.
— "I… learned to like it. It's an imperfect place, but full of potential. Still a lot to improve… but it's home."
Mark seemed satisfied. He nodded and ran back inside, yelling something about leftover pancakes.
Nolan remained there, standing, looking up at the darkening sky.
Kai watched from the window, silent, the comic forgotten in his lap, listening to everything and feeling a flicker of connection to this world.
There was something in his father's words that didn't sound like a lie — but didn't sound whole either.
Thus ended the first five years of the Grayson twins.
One, eyes full of dreams, heart light with childlike excitement.
The other… eyes empty, increasingly alert, reading between the lines of a world he still didn't know if he belonged to.
Interlude – The Voices of the Void
On the edge of the void between realities, where even time dared not flow straight, two presences manifested as formless concepts.
They did not belong to Kai's universe. And by rules as old as the multiverse itself, they shouldn't be watching him.
But they were.
— "You… seeing this, right?" — said one voice, bored, but not bored enough to look away.
— "No. I'm ignoring it with dignity," replied Leron, even as he zoomed in on Earth.
Before them, Kai ate pancakes while Nolan returned from another bloody mission as if he'd gone out to buy milk. Debbie smiled. Mark laughed. And Kai… Kai observed.
— "He's… stable," commented Leron. — "At least for now."
— "Yeah. Stable. With abyssal eyes, ridiculous powers, and precocious moral awareness. Clearly a normal child."
— "That's what the luck blessing fixed for us, remember? He only survived because he landed in the right body. The problem is… that body also came with… three thousand years of shelf life."
— "Right. Viltrumites live about as long as our patience."
Leron sighed. Or made what could be a sigh, if ancient concepts were capable of such.
— "We should stop watching. The deal was: we send, we forget. No interference."
— "Agreed. But what if he… realizes? That his life was a cosmic miscalculation?"
— "Then it's someone else's galaxy's problem. Preferably one we're not assigned to."
Silence returned. Not emptiness — the sound of the universe trying not to draw attention.
— "One last peek," said Leron.
— "Last peek," repeated the other.
And the veil closed.
That night, Kai dreamed of the void for the first time in months.
But unlike before, there was no silence.
There were whispers.
"He's shaping."
"He's growing… and getting dangerous."
"But what if he changes his mind?"
Kai woke up sweating.
Something… or someone… was still watching him.